1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to personal digital assistants (PDAs). More particularly, it relates to intelligent automation of a reminder and/or calendar system for a wireless PDA device.
2. Background of Related Art
Personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other hand-held portable computing devices are very popular consumer devices, particularly among the business sector. A PDA is a small, hand-held computer used to write notes, record names, addresses and phone numbers, to develop an appointment calendar, to read and write E-mail, and otherwise keep your life in order. PDA functionality is also incorporated into other electronic devices, e.g., cellular telephones.
Currently, PDA devices provide conventional reminder and calendar systems. These reminder systems allow a user to insert ‘entries’ into the PDA device asking for a reminder at a particular date and/or time. Alternatively, application programs such as Schedule Plus™ commercially available from Microsoft™ allow management of calendar functions on a personal computer (PC), and synchronization of the PC information with calendar information maintained on the PDA device.
To-do type reminders require frequent observation of the PDA device, and often a reminder involving another person the next time you see that person is seen too late, or after that person was seen. Moreover, reminders to attend a scheduled meeting are often provided even after a PDA user enters the meeting. If an audible alert is provided, the reminder can be disruptive to a meeting which starts earlier than scheduled. Moreover, cancellation of the reminder must be performed even after the meeting has occurred. This leads to excessive PDA operation, redundant reminders or reminders for events which have already taken place, and even to disruptions in meetings due to the PDA reminder alert itself.
There is a need for an intelligent and automatic reminder system for a PDA type device which reduces PDA operation time, reduces reminder redundancies, which eliminates reminders for events which have already taken place, and generally improves the accuracy of PDA reminders.